A few years ago when I discovered the Local Guide program I didn’t know what this is or how much impact it’s going to have over my life as a traveler.
I found this program by mistake when I wandered in the google maps app on my phone and read about places I knew around my house, as I read about those places I saw a bunch of questions people asked and I knew the answer for them, so I started answering them.
It was much more interesting than the class I had at that time, so I started looking for more places and more questions to answer.
I started getting points and I become a Local Guide level 1, which didn’t mean anything for me at that time.
One day, a few months later, I needed to figure something about a place I’ve never been to, so I opened the app and asked it, it took about half a day until I got an answer.
That got me wondering what is this Local Guide thing, who’s part of it and what is it for? I started searching this online and I discovered a program that helping travelers and local people gain information about the culture and businesses around them, helping places to become more known, And sharing a piece of information because it’s possible and why should one keep the information to himself if he can share it?
Years passed since that day, I’m a Local Guide level 6 now, enjoying answering and asking questions, posting photos, write reviews and read about places I know and don’t know yet.
I just got back home from a 6 months trip, this trip started in Italy, moved to California and from there to Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Brazil, In each one of these countries I read and planned my trip based on local guides tips and reviews, I’ve been to places I never thought I’m going to get and saw the local culture the way I hoped for.
I couldn’t have done my trip the way I did it without the Local Guide Community and I feel blessed to know this program and be able to use it on my trip.
I now know I’m going to be part of this community and this program as much as possible, so maybe one or more travelers like me could enjoy it and learn about my culture the way I learned about there’s when I traveled.